Escorial

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

or, less properly, Escurial, a royal summer residence of Spain. It is situated about twenty-five miles northwest of Madrid. It was built by Philip II during the sixteenth century. It is one of the largest groups of buildings in the world. It is in the form of a huge rectangle, 744 feet from north to south, and 580 feet in width. The interior is cut into rectangular courts by intersecting walls. At each corner of the outer wall rises a tower. The plan of the whole building is intended to represent the gridiron of martyrdom lying upside down, that is to say, with its four legs upward. The outer wall is of gray granite. It is pierced by innumerable windows, said to be 11,000 in number, giving the peculiar aspect of a large mill or military barrack. There are also 14,000 doors, affording communication from one part of the edifice to another. When completed it was called proudly the eighth wonder of the world. Tramping steadily upstairs and down it would not be possible to traverse all the passages, stairways, and rooms in a single day. The principal apartments of this peculiar edifice are the royal palace; a splendid chapel, 320 feet in length; a royal mausoleum; and a monastery. The mausoleum is a magnificently decorated octagon chamber, in which kings only and the mothers of kings are buried. Various apartments contain masterpieces of the great artists, including Raphael, Titian, and Rubens. A library of 20,000 volumes contains many priceless manuscripts--relics of Arabic learning. Although the Spanish people take great pride in the Escorial, other demands upon the public purse have prevented its being kept in good repair. It was struck by lightning in 1872 and injured seriously by fire. A school is maintained in the old monastery. See Alhambra ; Versailles